WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — As the federal government approaches another budget deadline on Dec. 20, Senator Angus King (I-ME) joined a bipartisan group of fellow U.S. senators to introduce the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act.
If signed into law, the bill would set up an automatic Continuing Resolution at the current spending level until an agreement is reached.
According to Sen. King, this would prevent a government-wide shutdown, continue critical services and operations, and keep federal employees at work while Congress negotiates.
“When Washington’s dysfunction repeatedly hurts hardworking Americans, it’s clear that something needs to change,” said Sen. King. “We’ve seen the impacts of shutdowns too many times: families left struggling, local small businesses seeing stark declines in their traffic, and Americans scrambling to receive the federal services they rely on. We can fix this – let’s come together on a bipartisan basis and make government shutdowns a thing of the past.”
According to Sen. King, the bill requires that when there is a period where there are no appropriated funds to pay for certain government agencies or programs, there will be:
- No taxpayer-funded travel allowances for official business (except one return flight to Washington, DC) for the following:
- White House OMB staff and leadership
- Members of the House and Senate
- Committee and personal staff of the House and Senate
- Official travel permitted within the national capital region (DC metro-area)
- No travel reimbursement (meals, per diem, or any type, including for state and district staff)
- No use of campaign funds by congressional offices to supplement official duties or travel expenses
- No other votes will be in order in the House and Senate unless they pertain to passage of the appropriations bills or mandatory quorum calls in the Senate
- No motions to recess or adjourn the Senate or House for more than 23 hours are in order
- No other matter can be considered on the floor of the Senate unless it relates to:
- General appropriations measures (including a CR);
- Daily mandatory quorum calls;
- Implementation of an automatic continuing resolution (CR) on October 1 at last year’s spending levels until passage of a law to appropriate all remaining lapsed spending for that fiscal year
- Expedited consideration of bipartisan appropriations bills is provided for after 30 days to ensure that each chamber is further incentivized to process spending bills and fund the government
- A required recorded quorum call vote each day at noon in the House and Senate to confirm attendance, which keeps Members in town for mandatory votes
- An effective date of September 30, 2020.
In addition to Sen. King, the bill is supported by U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), James Lankford (R-OK), and Joni Ernst (R-IA).
During the 35-day partial government shutdown at the beginning of 2019, Sen. King emphasized the negative impacts of a shutdown and urged the government to provide back pay to federal workers.
